Chapter 144: Ultimate motivation is to pursue miracles.
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As the creator of the technique, Sense understood all too well the consequences of attacking with her hair, which was fortified with numerous defensive spells and endowed with exceptional strength and precision.
This knowledge caused her to hesitate for a long time. Finally, she parted her lips slightly and asked hesitantly,
"…Master Ash, the wound on your face… was it caused by me?"
"Ah… yes, it was your clone," Ash replied casually, waving his hand as if it were nothing. Sense, however, lowered her head in guilt. "…I'm sorry. If I hadn't entered, or if I'd brought the Holy Scripture—"
"It's fine," Ash interrupted gently. "You're the examiner, and you came in just to assess the situation. By principle, you can't interfere with what happens. Besides, this is just a minor injury. Like Frieren said, a bit of saliva and a quick wipe would do the trick."
"…"
Sense fell silent, her gaze fixed blankly on him.
Noticing her hesitation, Ash quickly added, fearing she might misunderstand him as some sort of weirdo. "No… don't just go quiet now! I didn't mean it literally. I don't actually want you to smear saliva on it."
"…Really?" Sense asked, her tone skeptical.
"Why are you doubting me now of all times?!"
Her half-believing, half-doubtful look made Ash feel a sharp pang in his chest, as if an invisible sword had stabbed him. He understood, of course, that he was often seen as a bit eccentric, but even so, he'd hoped to maintain at least a shred of dignity.
---
After this brief exchange, Frieren, despite her near-death experience, seemed as enthusiastic about the dungeon as ever. She walked ahead, poking at walls and inspecting random corners with a boundless curiosity that suggested she hadn't learned anything from the earlier danger. Her behavior resembled that of a student on a carefree picnic.
"…Lady Frieren truly has a fondness for dungeons," Fern remarked with a sigh, his earlier anger now mostly dissipated as he watched her tap on the walls with childlike excitement.
Although Ash maintained a necessary distance due to their sweat, he couldn't help but explain under the curious gazes of the other two girls.
"She's always had a thing for treasure hunting, but recently, after hearing something Himmel said, she's been exploring entire dungeons as if they're a newly discovered world, rather than heading straight for the depths."
"What did Himmel say?" Fern asked, hwr curiosity piqued.
"Well, Himmel gave a long speech at the time. At first, Frieren wasn't interested, but one sentence changed everything: 'There might be a precious magic book at a fork in the road.' After hearing that, Frieren immediately became obsessed with exploring every corner of the dungeon instead of just simple treasure hunting."
Ash couldn't help but shake his head as he recalled Frieren's reaction. The moment Himmel mentioned the magic book, her eyes had lit up, and she'd rushed off instantly, dragging everyone else along in her excitement.
Fern's expression turned slightly awkward. "…That does sound exactly like something Lady Frieren would do."
"Indeed," Ash agreed. "In the thousand years since her master's death, she's spent most of her time wandering alone, searching for magic books. Occasionally, she goes off into the mountains or forests by herself… but if someone tells her there's a magic book buried somewhere, she'll probably dig up every tomb within a few kilometers of that location."
"Digging up graves might be excessive," Sense interjected, "but isn't it amazing? If she's worked so hard, she must've discovered some very powerful magic, right?"
"…You're still too naive, Sense," Ash said, placing a hand on her head and feeling the softness of her long hair as he shook his head gently. "The truth is, most of the magic books she's found are completely useless."
"After searching for thousands of years? Scouring every dungeon with such effort? And it's all been in vain?" Sense asked, disbelief evident in her voice.
"It sounds unbelievable, but it's the truth. I haven't heard of her uncovering anything worthwhile," Ash replied with a shrug.
Ash's sigh-like tone didn't sit well with Fern, who retorted earnestly, "—That's not true! Some of these magics are incredibly useful!"
"For example?" Ash asked, raising an eyebrow.
"The magic to clean rust off bronze statues, brew hot tea instantly, remove stubborn grease stains, kill mold, and make flipping pancakes effortless… Aren't those all incredibly useful?!" Fern began listing them on her fingers, speaking with confidence. Her face lit up with admiration and pride as she recounted what she considered legendary lost magics.
But as Fern finished, both Sense and Ash exchanged odd looks. They simply couldn't grasp the appeal of collecting such magic.
Sense stood there, stunned into silence, unsure how to respond. Meanwhile, Ash covered his face with his hand and sighed deeply. "…Aren't these just grandma's household tricks?"
"Don't insult those legendary magics!" Fern snapped, clearly offended. "What would you do if mold appeared on your clothes? In that case, wouldn't magic to remove mold be incredibly convenient?"
"…I'd just buy a new outfit," Ash replied flatly.
"That's such a waste of money! What about the magic to remove stubborn grease stains? It'd be troublesome to scrub it off yourself, wouldn't it? Or are you so wasteful you'd just throw out pots and pans after using them once?"
"I don't cook. And if that's not an option, I'd hire a maid," Ash replied with an indifferent shrug.
"Ughhh!" Fern puffed her cheeks in frustration, clearly irritated by Ash's dismissive attitude.
Ash, seeing Fern's growing frustration, stiffened slightly before seeming to come to a realization. Lightly tapping his palm with his fist, he quickly changed his tone. "—No, wait! Thinking about it… it's better to have those magics than not, sometimes!"
"Exactly! master Ash seriously lacks common sense," Fern declared triumphantly.
"Yes, yes… it's all my fault," Ash replied, sighing in mock defeat.
Despite his verbal agreement, Ash couldn't help but wonder why Fern, a teenager in the prime of her life, had such a grandmotherly mindset about practical magics. Was it Frieren's influence? Glancing at her now cheerful expression, Ash could only sigh internally, feeling a mix of amusement and helplessness.
It was obvious he was humoring Fern like a parent coaxing a child, which made Sense shake her head quietly in disapproval.
---
Although their goal was to reach the dungeon's deepest point, they had plenty of time to spare.
Frieren, ever the enthusiast, wandered around like a treasure hunter, eagerly searching every corner. After all, this was an unconquered maze, and while its full contents were unknown, the presence of treasures was certain. Ash himself couldn't deny his curiosity.
The group followed Frieren's enthusiastic lead to a hidden fork in the road, where they discovered an ancient treasure chest at the end of the path.
Unsurprisingly, Frieren squatted down in front of the chest, her chin resting on her hand as she studied it intently, her expression thoughtful.
Her prolonged silence finally prompted Fern, who always doted on her, to speak up gently. "Lady Frieren, how much longer do you plan to look at it? It's already been identified as a treasure chest monster."
"True, the identification result says it's a treasure chest monster," Frieren replied, not taking her eyes off the chest. "But, Fern… that magic's accuracy is 99%. That means there's still a 1% chance it's wrong."
Ash chuckled, placing a hand on Fern's shoulder. Before Frieren could reply, Ash recited one of her famous quotes that he remembered all too well. "It is precisely because of the great magicians who see through the 1% chance that history is made. This is the ultimate motivation for us as magicians—to pursue miracles and create history."
"It sounds inspiring," Fern admitted, though her expression remained skeptical. Her subtle frown and doubtful eyes made it clear she wasn't entirely convinced. "But no matter how you put it, that reasoning feels like a bit of a stretch."